Friday, September 30, 2011

Guan Eng apologises to Johor Sultan

Penang chief minister issues an apology to Sultan Ibrahim but maintains that he was misrepresented by BN-controlled media

PETALING JAYA: Penang chief minister, Lim Guan Eng, has issued an apology to the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, for his alleged disparaging remarks against the state.

Lim was reported to have maligned Johor during his speech at a luncheon organised by the Foreign Correspondents Association of Singapore on Aug 12.

According to national news agency, Bernama, Lim had highlighted the falling crime rate in Penang and implied that Johor’s public security situation was still questionable.

Lim has since denied the allegation adding that his speech was made in private and that it contained no mention of Johor.

Deputy prime minister, Muhyiddin Yassin, has described Lim’s statement as “irresponsible” and backed calls by Umno Youth for Lim to issue an apology.

Lim’s apology came after Sultan Ibrahim said that he was offended by Lim’s statements as the Johor police chief, Mokhtar Shariff, has been doing his job.

“I wish to fully apologise to the Johor Sultan and to the people of Johor,” Lim said in a media statement today. “I have no intention whatsoever to discredit Johor or any other state.”

Lim: ‘I was misrepresented’

Lim also agreed with the Sultan’s earlier statement that politics should be left to politicians and the people should not be dragging rulers into it.

However, he remained firm on his stand that he was misrepresented by BN-controlled media and said that he would pursue the matter in court to determine the truth of where the speech was made, what was actually said and in what context.

“To-date except for the purported tape by TV3, there was no press report of what I spoke in Singapore or Australia.

“I have access to the tape of my interview with Radio Australia. I’m still trying to locate the tape of what I said in Singapore which was made privately in a closed door session,” he said.

Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general, added that he has instructed his lawyers to immediately file a suit in court against the BN-controlled media, beginning with Bernama